Seahawks acquire All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson
Published 11:37 am Tuesday, October 27, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are trading star left guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder, according to a league source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed. The move ends Nelson’s nearly nine-year run with the Colts.
Like all trades involving players, the deal is contingent on Nelson passing a physical.
Nelson’s departure comes just one week after the Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard, further thrusting the team into a new era. The veteran lineman is still playing at an All-Pro level, but it became clear amid Indianapolis’ 2-5 start that if Nelson wants to play meaningful football, he’d have to do it elsewhere. Joining the Seahawks gives him that opportunity.
Nelson, 30, is on an expiring deal. So instead of potentially letting him walk in free agency and waiting on a compensatory pick in 2028, the Colts now have more control of their future by striking a deal before the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Indianapolis selected Nelson with the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Notre Dame star has lived up to his draft slot, earning eight straight Pro Bowl nods to start his career. The only other offensive lineman in NFL history to match that feat is Cleveland Browns legend Joe Thomas. Thomas, who earned 10 straight Pro Bowl selections, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, and Nelson is likely headed toward receiving his own gold jacket.
Nelson has been one of the Colts’ mainstays up front, blocking for a variety of quarterbacks during his tenure, most notably Andrew Luck. The 2012 No. 1 pick led Indianapolis to a 2018 wild-card win over the Houston Texans, Nelson’s only playoff victory. Luck shockingly retired the following year, and Nelson has appeared in just one playoff game since, a wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2020 season.
Philip Rivers was the Colts’ quarterback that year, but Rivers retired (for the first time) after that season, and Indianapolis has failed to find a long-term answer to replace Luck.
Nelson leaves Indianapolis as one of the locker room’s most respected players because of his leadership, toughness and production. He hasn’t missed a game since 2021 and earned three first-team All-Pro selections and three second-team All-Pro nods during his decorated tenure.
Nelson, who is No. 3 on our trade deadline big board, started all 136 games he played for the Colts. He is in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract extension he signed in September 2022.
In Nelson’s absence, the Colts will probably turn to rookie fourth-round pick Jalen Farmer or 2024 undrafted free agent Dalton Tucker to step in as their starting left guard. Farmer has played just three offensive snaps this season. Tucker has yet to play this year, but he started nine games total in 2024 and 2025.
Why the Seahawks made this move
It’s been tough sledding for the Seahawks running the ball through seven games, not that their running backs are doing the team many favors. Without Zach Charbonnet, the trio of Jadarian Price (who is on injured reserve but will practice this week), Emanuel Wilson and George Holani has combined for four lost fumbles. Seattle’s offensive line has taken a step back from last season, too, and was a bit shaky on the right side without right guard Anthony Bradford for five games.
Though Bradford returned from injury on Sunday, he has been inconsistent the past few seasons, and the Seahawks could now be without left tackle Charles Cross, who injured his ankle Sunday against the Chiefs, for a yet-unknown period of time. Regardless of how long, Seattle’s offensive line got better with Nelson, and that’s a noteworthy development for a unit that has underperformed to date. — Andrew Destin, Seahawks beat writer
How Nelson fits
Dating back to his time at Notre Dame, Nelson has played only left guard (aside from a handful of snaps at left tackle) for the past 13 seasons. Current Seahawks left guard Grey Zabel moved around the offensive line in college at North Dakota State, including 20 starts on the right side (three at guard, 17 at tackle). He could move to right guard in place of Bradford — whose time as a starter in Seattle could be over, in the final year of his rookie deal — as Nelson takes over at left guard. Another option is the Seahawks move Zabel to center and bench Jalen Sundell, Zabel’s college teammate, but Seattle has been pleased with his play since he took over as a starter.
Should the Seahawks try to extend the contract of Nelson, a pending free agent, it would be in line with their approach with other deadline acquisitions in recent seasons such as defensive lineman Leonard Williams (2023), linebacker Ernest Jones IV (2024) and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (2025). New owners Vinod and Neeru Khosla have said they would like the Seahawks to remain Super Bowl contenders, and acquiring and retaining Nelson would be in line with that vision. General manager John Schneider has never paid an interior offensive lineman near the top of the market. The league’s highest-paid guard is Tennessee’s Peter Skoronski at $25 million per year. — Destin
